The Pirates of Orion (episode)
While Spock lays ill, Orion pirates hijack the drug shipment desperately needed to save his life. Summary Captain Kirk records in his log entry that an outbreak of choriocytosis aboard has been brought under control, freeing the ship to complete its mission representing Starfleet at the dedication of the Academy of Science on Deneb V. While underway, however, Spock loses consciousness due to choriocytosis infection. Since he has copper based blood rather than iron based blood, it progressively inhibits his blood cells from being able to carry oxygen. Although a synthesized drug exists to control the disease, only a naturally occurring pharmaceutical named strobolin will cure it, but only if administered in two or three days. The closest source to ''Enterprise'' was on Beta Canopus, four days away. Kirk arranges for the starship ''Potemkin'' to retrieve the drug and transfer it to a dilithium freighter, the SS Huron. Captain O'Shea's freighter gets underway with the drug shipment. Soon afterwards, they detect another vessel closing on them, of an unknown design. Meanwhile, the synthesized treatments are losing effectiveness on maintaining Spock's health. The Huron sends out a distress signal after the alien craft orders them to turn over their cargo. The Enterprise finds the vessel, disabled, with it's cargo missing. After recovering the injured crew of the damaged vessel, the ship is set adrift and Enterprise sets out after the specific pattern of radioactive waste left by the intruder. They find it leads to a highly unstable asteroid field, and Enterprise is fired upon by what Lieutenant Arex identifies as an Orion pirate ship. The Orion captain hails the Enterprise protesting the pursuit of his vessel, but refuses a search. Kirk offers the Orions amnesty in the matter in exchange for the return of the strobolin. The Orion commander and Kirk beam down to a large asteroid to exchange the drug. Unknown to Kirk, the Orion plans to destroy himself, the asteroid, and both ships with a dilithium explosive set to disrupt the asteroid's molecular structure. The Orion makes his ultimatum, but Kirk wrests the device and the drug from the Orion, and captures him. Back aboard Enterprise, the drug is administered to SPock, and Kirk prevents the Orion from committing suicide. His ship and crew become prisoner, ending Orions official neutrality in the matter of pirate activities. Continuation Kirk's reference to the Orion conflict at Coridan on stardate 3850 comes from TOS:"Journey to Babel" Even after the loss of neutrality depicted here, the Orion Syndicate still causes trouble in 24th century DS9 episodes. Background This was the first episode of TAS's second season. This episode was novelized by Alan Dean Foster in Ballantine Books's Star Trek Log 5. Although most other Star Trek episodes pronounce Orion as "Oh-RYE-on," this episode the word is pronounced "OR-ee-un." Referred to in dialogue as the "SS Huron," the freighter's hull actually reads USS Huron. Links and References Guest Stars *James Doohan as Lieutenant Arex *Majel Barrett as Nurse Chapel *James Doohan as Captain O'Shea *Majel Barrett as the USS Huron first officer *George Takei as the USS Huron helmsman *James Doohan as the Orion captain *George Takei as the Orion lieutenant *James Doohan as the Orion ensign *James Doohan as the USS Enterprise transporter chief References [of Science; Arex; Babel Conference; Babel Resolutions; Beta Canopus; choriocytosis; copper based blood; Coridan planets; Deneb V; [[USS Huron|USS Huron]]; iron based blood; Orions; Orion pirate ship; O'Shea; pirate; [[USS Potemkin|USS Potemkin]]; strobolin; Spock